


Silent Kisses - A Naruto (Sasuke x Hinata) Fic

by LissyWrites



Category: Naruto
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, NaruSaku - Freeform, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, Romance, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, sasuhina - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24432688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LissyWrites/pseuds/LissyWrites
Summary: (AU) Years after leaving Konoha, Sasuke decides to return to fill an emptiness growing inside him. Much to his surprise, his old friends don't seem to hold a grudge. Instead, they have all have moved on to life without him. Despite returning to familiar surroundings, Sasuke is once again the outsider, but he isn't alone. Someone else lingers on the outskirts of the ever-changing vi
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata & Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 33
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

He stood on the crest of a hill, overlooking the gate of Konoha. Even though the headband pressed against his forehead represented his village's forgiveness, as his gaze panned over the bustling streets and familiar buildings, a well of guilt flooded in the pit of his stomach. It had been years. Even so, the village didn't seem all that different. Just based on the rooftops, he could still recognize buildings and homes.

Even so, just because he recognized them, didn't mean they were all the same. While he had left Konoha, Konoha, and the people in it didn't pause. Much like the village, the people were probably similar, but they wouldn't be the same. While guilt and anxiety were toiling within him, he couldn't help feeling hopeful as he imagined all of his old friends.

Naruto and Sakura were the most prominent figures in his memories. They were in the village somewhere. He wondered what they had been told. How did the Hokage explain away his return? More importantly, how did they react when they were told? The last time he saw Sakura, she had tried to kill him. He could still see the intensity in her face, her green eyes wide with fury as she clenched her fist and swung toward him. The thought of her wrath, while not a threat, still made him fearful.

He was sure Naruto had been furious. While he and Naruto were so different, they were also very much alike. Imagining himself in Naruto's position, he would have been furious. There was so much build-up. So many missions, so much training, all in an attempt to drag him back to the village. In the end, Sasuke Uchiha ended up crawling back, asking forgiveness. Sasuke couldn't hold back the chuckle as he imagined Naruto yelling and pumping his fists in the air. He could almost hear Naruto screaming:

"Sasuke put us through all this, and now we're just going to let him waltz right back in? He'll be lucky if I don't throw him right back out!"

With that, Sasuke sighed. There was no use lingering on the outskirts any longer. It was time to go home. Readjusting his pack on his shoulders, he began the descent down into the valley where Konoha awaited. As he neared, two shinobi stood at the front gates. While it wasn't uncommon for guards to be posted, it was unusual from them to appear so stiff, as if an imminent threat were approaching. It was clear he was what they considered a threat. As he approached, the two shinobi locked their gazes on him. While it would be imperceptible by the average passerby, Sasuke watched as their hands casually made their way to the kunai hanging from their belts.

He did his best to appear casual, though even he stood a bit straighter as he met each of their gazes. He offered each of them a nod, and though they reciprocated, they each gripped the handles of the kunai. It was much like what the Hokage had described: his return wouldn't be met with a parade. He was still the traitor. Another Uchiha traitor, it seemed to run in the blood.

With a sigh, he tucked his hands in his pockets, ducked his head, and headed into the village. Even as he distanced himself from the front gate, he could still feel the glares of the shinobi burning into his back. While he couldn't blame them, anger still toiled somewhere deep inside him. Somewhere, an avenger still hungered for revenge, including against those who hated him.

He walked without purpose, unsure where he should go. He hadn't returned with any real plan in mind. It was impulsive, much like his decision to leave the village in the first place. The moment he left, a hollowness had carved its way inside him. It was a gaping wound that no medicine could heal. As he walked the familiar roads and began to notice some familiar faces, the edges of that empty wound began to stir. It wasn't far into the village's center that something flickered along the edge of his vision. It was only for an instant, a flash of unusual hair color.

Someone with pink hair was milling through the crowd.

He paused in his aimless walking and stared out at the woman with pink hair. Her hair was short, balled up in a bun on top of her head. She was standing at a produce stall and appeared to be haggling with the merchant. It had to be her. Sasuke's suspicions were soon confirmed as she traded money with the merchant and grabbed her fresh produce. The moment she stuffed her produce in her shopping bag, she immediately turned to face his general direction.

As he watched, he willed her to meet his gaze. Somehow, he assumed there was a natural gravity between them. She would see him. Her eyes had no choice but to meet his gaze. Despite this, Sakura peered around, only to fall into the crowd and head away from the market. Sasuke stood there, blinking. It seemed more had changed than he had expected. Even so, this at least gave him purpose now. Making it a point to keep an eye on her pink bun bobbing just above the crowd, Sasuke assimilated himself into the traffic and followed a reasonable distance from Sakura.

She didn't go far. Sakura had moved into a reasonably large home, close to the markets. It wasn't a building he immediately recognized, but it was clearly not a new build based on the worn walls and roofing. She stepped out from the main path and stood in front of the door, digging in the produce bag that hung from her shoulder. As she struggled to find whatever she looked for, Sasuke fell from the crowd and ducked around the corner of a nearby building, watching from afar.

It seemed whatever Sakura was looking for was not where she expected as her eyes bulged with fury, and what appeared to be a curse danced across her lips. She sighed loudly and wrapped her knuckles against the door. Within moments, the front door opened, and while Sasuke couldn't see who was on the other side, he could clearly hear the bright cadence of a familiar voice:

"Didn't have to knock. I could hear you sighing from the living room."

It was Naruto. Sakura frowned deeply at him before leaning forward, eyes drifting shut as her lips puckered. Meeting her halfway, a blond head poked out from the door and kissed her. It wasn't a particularly deep kiss. It was brief, but it was familiar. They had done that same thing many times. The frayed edges of the emptiness stirred. Rather than mending as Sasuke had hoped, the wound was beginning to widen. Without even realizing it, Sasuke clutched at his chest, willing the pain to cease.

Sakura was saying something to Naruto, and in turn, he was laughing, but Sasuke could no longer hear them. Really, he didn't want to know what they were talking about. Blood was pounding in his ears. Despite his better judgment, he stepped out from his hiding place and stomped his way over to them. Even as he came right upon them, neither noticed until he was a few feet away. Even then, as their gazes broke from each other to meet his own, neither seemed to register who he was until he spoke.

"Hey."

That was all he could muster. A lame monotone greeting, as if that would explain away everything. Sasuke clenched his teeth as the word hung in the air between the three of them. Sakura blinked, looked at Naruto, and blinked again. When she looked toward Sasuke again, Sakura was squinting as if she didn't believe her eyes.

"Sasuke?"

She asked so nonchalantly. Many years had passed, of course, but based on both of their looks, it was as if Sasuke was utterly unrecognizable. Surely he hadn't changed that much. Looking at them, they hadn't changed at all. They were taller and older, of course, but otherwise, he had recognized them immediately.

"Well, yeah."

Was all he could muster. At least it was two words this time, though that didn't make the encounter any less awkward. Surprisingly, Sakura smiled, her eyes cinching to match her widening grin. Then, she did something he never expected. She opened her arms and folded him into a hug. Flabergasted, Sasuke kept his arms pressed tensely against his sides.

"Oh, Sasuke. I am so glad to see you."

"You are?"

As Sakura held him, Sasuke met Naruto's gaze, only to find him peacefully smiling. Neither of them reacted as he had expected. Somehow, he found it disappointing and mildly irritating. Once Sakura released him from the hug, she held him away at arm's length to look him up and down.

"You haven't changed a bit!"

As much as he tried not to, Sasuke couldn't help rolling his eyes. Clearly, that wasn't the truth based on how long it took the pair to recognize him. Even so, Sasuke did his best to smile and nod.

"Neither have you two."

It was then that Sakura and Naruto glanced at each other, but it wasn't just a casual glance. There was a message in that look, but it was in a language Sasuke didn't speak. Once again, Sasuke faced the reality that much had changed. Sakura squeezed his shoulders before letting her arms fall back to her sides. Clearing his throat, Naruto stepped back into the house:

"Well, let's get the gang back together inside. Team 7, back once again."

While Naruto said it with a smile, there was a lack of enthusiasm in his voice. It was clear that this conversation wasn't going to be a fun one. Despite his better judgment, the Uchiha made his way into the house as Sakura followed close behind and shut the door behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

They brought him into their living area, which was sparsely furnished and decorated. A couch was set in the center, creating a separation between the living room and the kitchen. In front of the sofa was a laughably, small, wooden coffee table. Other than that, there were a few pictures on the walls, and that was that. Sakura seemed to notice him studying the room as she made her way back from the kitchen. She laughed once and set down the tray of teacups she had on the coffee table.

“Excuse the room. We just moved from our apartment, and I haven’t had time to fill up space.”

Sasuke didn’t respond. Instead, he focused on the photos on the walls as Sakura passed him a cup of tea before taking a cup for herself and plopping down on the floor by the table. There were four pictures on the wall. The first was the old photo of the original team 7. His eyes lingered on the young faces. While he recognized each one, somehow, they seemed like different kids all together.

The next photo was of the reformed team 7, sans Sasuke. Again, these faces were familiar, they were a blur in his memory. The third member that took his place, Sai, looked like a statue. Sasuke couldn’t help frowning at the boy’s blank expression. Sakura, once again, noticed his reaction and followed his gaze to the pictures on the wall.

“Everyone said he looked like you.”

Sasuke sat up a bit straighter and took a long sip of the bitter tea.

“I don’t see it.”

Sakura couldn’t hold in her laughter. While she broke out into the fit of laughter, he couldn’t help studying her closer. Her hair was paler than he remembered, probably due to how much time she spent outside. Her body was perhaps the starkest change, with her arms and legs rippling with muscles. It was impressive, and he spent some time studying the curves and arches of her body. By the time he made it back to her face, Sakura was staring at him. She didn’t seem upset, but something dark was in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Naruto came barreling in from the backrooms of the house.

“I found it!”

Sakura pursed her lips and went back to nursing her tea, making a show of not looking at Sasuke. He wanted to know what she was going to say, but he wasn’t stupid. Clearly, whatever it was, she wasn’t going to say it in front of Naruto. Rather than walk into the living room as a reasonable person would, Naruto jumped over the back of the couch, landing haphazardly next to Sasuke. This captured Sakura’s attention as she slammed her cup down on the tea tray.

“Naruto! Please, we just got that!”

Not missing a beat, Naruto presented a box to Sasuke. It was unmarked and didn’t seem familiar to him, but by the way Naruto was grinning, it must have been significant. Hesitantly, Sasuke set his tea on the coffee table and took the box into his lap. As he opened the flaps, a familiar scent rushed forth, one he hadn’t smelt in years. Right on top was a picture.

“Is this from my house?”

Naruto bobbed his head, then motioned toward Sakura.

“Once the search parties stopped, the village leaders determined that the Uchiha compound would be better suited for general living. Since there was no-“ he paused. “Someone needed to clean out your home. So, Sakura and I were authorized to collect your things.”

Sasuke stared down into the box. It was so small. It was hard to believe this was all he had left behind.

“I guess you two were the closest things I had to family.”

Then, something else occurred to him, and that open wound made itself known, tearing at the edges ever so slightly.

“So, wait, what happened to my house?”

Panic rushed across Naruto’s face as he shook his head.

“No, no! Don’t worry. Your house was a rental property for a while, but there is no one living there now. You have a home.”

Sasuke deflated and sighed, thankful that he wasn’t coming back homeless. Still, the fact that the village decided on the fate of the Uchiha compound had the vengeful side of him broiling. Clenching his jaw, he closed the box. Once again, his eyes were drawn to the boy in the second team 7 photo.

“Why did the search parties stop?”

Naruto didn’t respond, instead, picking up his cold tea and taking a big, obnoxious sip. Sakura rolled her eyes before picking up the conversation.

“We discovered, on our second mission to go after you, that Sai’s main mission was to assassinate you.”

Though it should have surprised him, Sasuke was decidedly pleased. Recalling his time with Orochimaru, if Naruto had made it out to him a second time, Sasuke probably would have killed him. Looking at Sai’s blank face one more time, Sasuke sent him a silent thank you. Once again relaxed, Sasuke set the box down at his feet and leaned back into the couch.

“So, I am guessing you two didn’t become life long friends with Sasuke 2.0?”

Once again, the pair glanced at each other, speaking in their own silent language. Once Sakura had decided on a response, she cleared her throat.

“Well, actually, we’re all pretty good friends.”

Sasuke blinked.

“He was sent to assassinate me, and you all… became friends?”

Then, Naruto tried to jump in. He splayed his hands out in front of him and stumbled over his words as he spoke.

“Look, Sasuke, a lot happened. He decided he didn’t want to kill you anymore. Plus, he turned out to be okay. A little rude… and awkward, but okay!”

Despite the desperate attempts to make him understand, Sasuke was having a difficult time doing so. His jaw ached from the anger-induced clenching, but the moment he loosened his jaw, his hand balled into a fist. Sasuke was all anger. This was the only way he knew to relieve it without completely deteriorating.

“So, you all became best buds. What does that have to do with the search parties?”

Once again, Sakura sought out Naruto’s gaze, but Naruto had rescinded himself to staring into his empty teacup. Whatever they were about to say, neither of them wanted to be the one to say it. Everyone sat in drawn-out silence for far too long. No one wanted to step over whatever invisible line had been drawn. Unfortunately, there was only one way forward, and Sakura was the one to push them to it.

“Well, Sasuke. When we abandoned that mission, we all decided it was safer for everyone, including you, to move on. So… we moved on.”

Those last three words, ‘we moved on,’ that was all it took. Whatever healing that had occurred upon returning to the village reverted. All the old wounds and scars were torn asunder, producing more than just the single empty hole that had cemented itself within Sasuke. Pockets of pain, grief, guilt, and anger rushed forth. These emotions played across his face, causing Sakura to jump up from the floor. She got up on her knees, scurried over to him, taking his hands into hers as she looked up into his eyes.

“Please don’t be upset, Sasuke. You have to understand why we did it.”

“Why did you do it?”

Sakura could only offer a bitter smile.

“How could we not? You left. We let you take your path, and we took ours.”

Once again, Sasuke could only blame himself. He was the one who had left, and as a result, he was alone still. Sakura and Naruto stopped chasing after him. By the time he had decided he was ready to come back to them, they were long gone. He pulled his hands out of Sakura’s grasp.

“I think I should go.”

Naruto started to talk him out of leaving, but Sasuke held up a hand.

“No, I need to go.”

Sasuke stood up, and Sakura sat up to give him space. He picked up the box from the floor and trudged toward the door. His old teammates remained where they sat, watching his back as headed toward the front door. Sasuke opened their front door, drowning himself in the sounds of the outside, but before he left, he turned back to face Sakura and Naruto. His eyes flickered between the two of them before drifting to the two other photos on the wall.

The first of the pair was of a younger Sakura and Naruto cheek-to-cheek smiling at the camera. Wholly innocent. Then, there was a second picture. It was Sakura and Naruto, cheek-to-cheek, smiling at the camera. Sakura was wearing a beautiful white bridal kimono. Similarly, Naruto was wearing a black, formal kimono. Before he turned away to leave, he muttered to them both:

“Congratulations.”

He turned away from them, just as he had so long before and disappeared back into the bustling streets of Konoha.


	3. Chapter 3

The walk back to the Uchiha compound seemed much longer than he recalled. Still, the path was the same. In his mind’s eye, he could imagine a worn path. It was a path he walked alone for many years. That certainly wasn’t the case anymore. No matter how close he came to the compound, people were still on that same path, whether they were coming or going.

As the arch to the compound came into view, it was clear plenty had changed. The Uchiha insignia had been removed. Despite disrupting the flow of traffic around him, Sasuke couldn’t help standing before the arch, staring up at the blank space above the walkway. Unconsciously, his jaw and fists clenched. His entire body was tense.

Immediately, his mind was flooding with anger. He could understand not wanting to waste the land. Sure, they couldn’t maintain an empty compound like a gravesite forever, but they couldn’t leave any trace of them? It was as if the Uchiha clan had never existed. His mother, father, and Itachi’s face flashed in and out of his thoughts as he stared into that empty place.

It was an empty space, not unlike the one that was rooted in him. The open wound with its loose, torn edges was forming tendrils. Those tendrils were reaching and digging around. They were looking for something, and they were growing. They fed on the anger that was boiling beneath it in the pit of his stomach like a fertilizer. The longer he stood, clenched in anger and silence, the further the tendrils reached, entangling themselves around his veins and organs. They were reaching up from his belly, traveling up into his chest cavity.

The tendrils slowed, their goal in sight. They circled the thumping organ in Sasuke’s chest, the sound luring them like snakes. Then, she crossed his view. The tendrils rushed back from where they originated, back to the pit of emptiness. Sasuke blinked, clearing his vision to focus on the path in front of him. There she was.

Black hair swayed down the length of her back, jet black except for the occasional blue that flickered as the light hit it. She was carrying a basket full of vegetables and fruit. Sasuke couldn’t help focusing on them, the tomatoes specifically. They had been his favorite. They were still his favorite. Every weekend his mother would pick up as many as she could, and they’d spend the evening eating them like apples on their pack porch.

Though he knew it couldn’t be, seeing a woman with that hair color, walking into the Uchiha compound with a basket of tomatoes couldn’t help conjuring her face: Mikoto Uchiha. Though the dress she wore was lavender, which wasn’t a color he could recall his mother wearing, she had a cream-colored apron tied around her waist. Despite the logical part of himself telling him not to, Sasuke began to move. He followed a few feet behind her, desperately trying to stop the hope that was thrumming in his chest.

It was difficult, especially since the path she took was the exact same path to his childhood home. With every step and every turn, he could feel the wheels of time turning backward. He shrunk back to a child, chasing after his mother’s apron strings. Sweat was pouring down his face, but nothing could hamper the excitement of the tomatoes. As they neared their home, his mother peered over her shoulder to smile at him.

“Sasuke?”

Something wasn’t right. Sasuke paused in his pursuit. His mother’s face flickered for a moment, her eyes were wrong. He remembered them being black, but these were white. His mother pursed her lips, brow furrowing. Her tone was higher and softer, different than he remembered.

“Sasuke?”

Blinking past the illusion, standing before him was not his mother. Instead, it was another familiar face. Familiar, but not one he could place right away. Her skin was porcelain white, a stark contrast to her hair that shimmered blue and black in the setting sun. However, the most striking feature she had was her eyes. They were even paler than her skin, a pure white without a pupil. It was a characteristic owned solely by the Hyuuga clan. It was then her name came rushing forth.

“Hinata, right?”

Her face flushed, and her eyes, though they had no pupil, shifted from his face to look somewhere at his feet. Her eyes had a weight to them. They gave off energy, as though they might swallow you whole. Sasuke hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until she looked away. He tried to casually gulp air into his lungs as Hinata spluttered her response.

“Yes! I didn’t realize you were back. Are you heading home?”

It was then Sasuke realized where they were. Just to their left was the entrance to his former home. Well, ‘former’ wasn’t accurate anymore. It was his home once again. Looking at it, it hadn’t changed much at all. Most of the paint was faded, including the two Uchiha insignias on either side of the front door. It was a sight that warmed Sasuke’s heart to see the village had at least kept those, possibly as they awaited his return.

“Yes. I just made it, but…” Sasuke paused to look at Hinata’s face, “where are you heading?”

Once again, he was met with a shocked glance and a flushed face. It didn’t seem to take much to throw Hinata into a tizzy. She spluttered once more before turning to look behind her, motioning to the house directly next door to Sasuke’s.

“Well, I guess we are neighbors now.”

Sasuke blinked. A map of Konoha appeared before his mind’s eye. The Uchiha compound was directly east to the Hyuuga compound, a much bigger area than even the Uchiha’s. Yet, the Hyuuga princess lived in the Uchiha clan compound? Seemingly watching the wheels turning, Hinata cleared her throat.

“I guess it’s a bit strange, a Hyuuga living here, I mean. It’s a bit of a story.”

Sasuke could only imagine. He peered over to her home, much more modest than his own with only a single story. All the Uchiha symbols had been removed, leaving large sections of the white walls bare. He met Hinata’s gaze and decided her eyes were even whiter than the walls of the house.

“Um, do you have anything for dinner?”

Sasuke blinked, unsure of how to answer. The meeting with Naruto and Sakura replayed in his mind, which stirred the emptiness in his stomach. As a result, a growl erupted and hung in the air between them. Now, Sasuke was the one to splutter as he crossed his arms and looked off into the distance, doing his best to avoid the Hyuuga’s gaze.

Before he could reject her invitation, Hinata began to giggle. Sasuke’s gaze snapped back to see her in the middle of laughing. She coyly hid her mouth behind her hand, her other shaking as she held firm to the basket of bright, ruby fruit. It took everything in him to not laugh along with her. As her laughter subsided, she dropped her hand from her mouth and took hold of the basket’s handle. She lifted the basket with both hands, seemingly offering Sasuke the produce.

“It’s not much, but I’d like to offer you dinner to welcome you home.”

To welcome him home, she had said. Those words rang pleasantly in Sasuke’s ears. They were words he had desperately wanted to hear, though, in reality, he had expected to hear them from someone else. Sakura’s face came to mind immediately. Much to his dismay, a woman he had never really spoken to remembered him before the woman that was on his old team.

As the threads of the invisible wound within himself stirred, he gave a curt nod.

“I’d like that.”


	4. Chapter 4

Her house, especially in comparison to the Uzumaki household, was much more heavily decorated. Shelves lined the walls, and on each one were various knick-knacks and potted plants. Leafy, green vines grew wildly along the walls. They reached toward the floor and ceiling with reckless abandon and even grew towards one another, grasping out to form nests of tangled brush. If he hadn't known any better, he might have thought the entire house was held up by the vines.

Between them appeared to be ceramic statues of various animals. Owls, foxes, cats, and wolves were in different poses, scattered along the shelves. Even the traditional tea table that Hinata escorted him to had a cat and wolf frolicking in a little vine as a centerpiece. Despite the decorations, somehow, the room felt emptier than the Uzumaki household had been. He just couldn't put his finger on why.

"Please make yourself at home."

With that, she bowed and scurried off to the kitchen, setting her basket of red fruit on the counter. The home was open, the living room leading into the open kitchen. Even though she was technically in another room, she was still completely visible, minus the island counter that separated the two. On the counter, two purple orchid plants framed either side. At the base of their pots, a sleeping wolf at one and a sleeping cat at the other. She seemed to favor those two animals.

She wasn't in the kitchen long. The familiar clanging of a teapot and stovetop switching on broke the comfortable silence that settled in the house. As soon as she had the kettle on the stove, she turned back to face the basket, and Sasuke took this opportunity to sit at the tea table. He watched her eyes, studying as their blankness reflected the shimmering red of the fruit. Their movement was almost imperceptible. It was haunting, and the more he watched them, the more he realized they were an identical shade to the ceramic animals she surrounded herself with.

Hinata quietly began plucking the fruit, eyeing each one carefully before selecting a handful that she then dropped into her skirt, which she held up to form a makeshift sack. Once she had collected her chosen tomatoes, she then grabbed a plate and knife from somewhere beneath the island and scuttled back into the living area. With great tenderness, she set the ceramic plate down on the table, just to the left of the centerpiece so either side could reach. However, with the tomatoes, she was much less gentle. She held the fruit over the plate and deftly sliced, with the blade going toward her thumb.

Sasuke couldn't hold back his wincing as he watched, the knife pressing into her thumb. However, somehow she knew just the right amount of pressure, and never once did she cut her own flesh. In mere moments, all of her tomatoes had been sliced. Before she allowed them to be eaten, she quickly arranged them in a line, overlapping one after the other. Only then did she motion toward Sasuke.

"Please, enjoy."

Enjoy, he did. He wasted no time as he plucked the closest tomato slice and popped the whole thing in his mouth, seeds and all. He let the subtle flavor rest on his tongue before taking his first bite. Though it was sliced, the fruit flooded his mouth with juice. Even the stoic Sasuke couldn't hold back a hum of pleasure as he drank it down.

Similarly, Hinata couldn't hold back a giggle as she plucked her own slice from the plate.

"I'm glad to hear you like it. You know, I've never been fond of tomatoes, really."

Even as she said that her pale lips parted, and she took a lean nibble of the tomato. She took her sweet time chewing, which gave the fruit enough time to fight back, dribbling down her hand before dripping into her lap. The juice left a red-tinted streak across her porcelain skin, which drew Sasuke's eye. Though he didn't consciously imagine it, an image of himself taking her hand in his own and lapping up the stray juice fought its way to the forefront of his mind.

Unfortunately, this resulted in him inhaling a few of the tomato seeds. He pursed his lips, trying to hold back the cough that erupted in his chest. Hinata's eyes flickered up to meet his, even as his own vision started to blur with tears.

"Are you alright?"

Sasuke feebly shook his head and pounded his chest to ease the coughs, but which ultimately allowed the rest of the fruit to slide down without any further trouble. Trying to clear the erotic image from his mind, he coughed out:

"Fine, fine. So," Sasuke took a moment to clear his throat before continuing, "why did you buy tomatoes if you don't like them?"

Hinata fell back into her comfortable silence as her eyes drifted back to the limp slice she still held in her hand.

"I don't really know… well, I think I do. They're really pretty." Her face grew flush, matching the red tint of the tomato juice that continued to flow down her hand. "I know this sounds stupid. I just like having a little pop of color, I guess. It helps fill the room."

Though Sasuke couldn't help thinking it was a little stupid, it revealed something to him. He peered around the room again, taking in the lush, greenery, filled with pale ceramic animals. That was why it seemed so empty. She was trying to surround herself with life: fake animals, ever-growing vines, and even bright red tomatoes. She was lonely, and that was something Sasuke understood all too well. The open wound, as if on cue, stirred back to life, rumbling deep inside of him. He clutched the front of his shirt as if that would stop it from growing.

"What made you move into the Uchiha compound?"

Hinata jumped as if he had startled her, resulting in more flecks of tomato falling onto her apron. Her pale gaze bore into him as she studied his face. It was almost as if she was looking for an ulterior motive, like this was some kind of mocking joke, but when she found no evidence of such, her eyes seemed to grow dim instead.

"I guess you weren't here at the time, um…" her eyes drifted back down to the tomato slice, which then conjured a distant memory of a girl at the edge of every room, tucked away as if she feared being seen

Sasuke realized then why he had never really spoken to her. She never stood out, not that she couldn't, but simply because she didn't want to. Even now, rather than go out and surround herself with friends or family, she chose the company of things that couldn't judge her: plants and ceramic animals.

"I gave up my… position in the clan. I decided it'd be best to leave so Hanabi had more room to grow since she'll be taking over the family."

"You gave it up? Why would you do that?"

As the words tumbled gruffly from his mouth, he realized how wrong his assumption was, but by the time he realized it, it was too late to take the words back. Though Hinata's expression didn't really change, something about her face withdrew. She seemed miles and miles away, somewhere Sasuke couldn't reach her. What Sasuke had failed to realize in time was that she hadn't willingly given up her position. She hadn't voluntarily left, either. She had been pushed out to the edge of the only life she knew.

Unlike Sasuke, she didn't choose to be alone and left behind. She had been forced into it, and all she had left were the plants, the fake animals, and now him. Even together, it was clear, they were both painfully alone. Suddenly, the sweetness of the tomato was sour.


	5. Chapter 5

Every conversation he had that day was rushing through his head in tandem. Words and faces were being swapped around, but no matter who was saying what, Sasuke cringed all the same. His mother was apparently friends with Sasuke 2.0, Hinata was in wedding pictures with Naruto, and Sakura had bought a basket of tomatoes. It was enough to make him sick.

Since sleep was a distant dream, Sasuke didn’t waste any time just lying in bed. Instead, he climbed out of bed and made his way over to the balcony of his bedroom. For whatever reason, his new neighbor was still at the forefront of his waking mind. Her opal eyes, shimmering in the afternoon light, flickered back and forth from her face to his mother’s face. In reality, they looked nothing alike, but something about Hinata conjured memories of her.

Perhaps it was simply the right place at the right time. Sasuke happened to be heading back to the Uchiha compound, and she happened to live there. She happened to be carrying a basket of his favorite fruit like his mother used to on her way home from the market. It was a lot of coincidences. While Sasuke did his best to rationalize it, some part of Sasuke lingered in the spiritual. Was his mother trying to give him a message?

Consciously, he told himself that was impossible. Even so, though, his gaze drifted over to the next-door neighbor’s house. All the lights were off, and all was silent. Everything was as it should have been. No ghost mothers found much to his disappointment and relief. However, that illusion of normalcy was soon shattered as a shadowy figure slipped from the alley between their two homes.

The shadow paused at the front of Hinata’s house, and a small, pale hand slipped out from around the cloak. It waved toward the house’s balcony, and when Sasuke checked that balcony, only then did he see Hinata, wrapped in a delicate robe and illuminated by the moonlight, waving back at the shadow. A secret lover, perhaps?

Acid was burning in Sasuke’s throat. The acid of the tomatoes must have given him heartburn. Rationalizing was becoming less and less successful, Sasuke found. The heartburn was only getting worse as Hinata spun away and disappeared from his view. Then, suddenly, the shadow figure started sprinting down the road toward the Uchiha compound's exit.

Sasuke knew he shouldn’t follow. He knew it was none of his business and that he should just get back to bed, but once again, the rationalizing was of no use. Without any more thought, he threw himself over the balcony and landed on the road with a light thud. Glancing around to ensure there weren’t any other waiting shadows, he began sprinting.

It was all normal until the shadow took a turn towards the Hyuuga compound. Sasuke’s mind leaped to a multitude of possibilities. Was she told she couldn’t have a relationship with someone from the clan? Had she hired a spy to monitor the clan? Was she trying to reclaim her role? None of that seemed like Hinata, but did Sasuke really know Hinata? For whatever reason, that realization made his chest ache.

Thankfully, that pain subsided rather quickly as they reached the exterior wall of the Hyuuga clan compound. There, the shadow paused, and in turn, Sasuke froze behind a nearby tree, waiting and watching for the shadow’s next move. He was already internally chastising himself for doing something so foolish when the shadow turned to face his direction.

“You can come out now. I know you’re there.”

Sasuke cursed, this time outwardly, before stepping out into the shadow of the tree. He stared at the hood of the shadow, doing his best to see into it and find out the person's identity. Already he had a bit more info. He was sure whoever it was, it was a woman. Standing directly across from them now, the shadow was around a foot shorter than he was, and the voice when calling him out had been light, dainty. If they hadn’t spoken with such command, their voice might have been carried away by the wind.

It seemed the shadow was sizing him up now as well. Unfortunately for Sasuke, there was no hiding who he was. Even the shadow he was in wouldn’t hide anything, especially from someone who more than likely had a dōjutsu like the byakugan. The shadow’s shoulders dropped, though, and they even reached up to the edge of their hood. In a swift moment, they dropped the hood, revealing themselves in the moonlight.

“Well, well, it’s Sasuke Uchiha. Hinata told me you were back in town, but I almost didn’t believe her.”

It was Hinata. No, not quite. It was a mini-version. That wasn’t quite right either. She was smaller, stature-wise, and appeared a bit younger. She was also tanner, which was probably indicative of how much she trained in comparison to Hinata. More than that, though, she sternly held her face. Her eyes were cinched as if she were still reading Sasuke, even though she did seem to recognize him. Even under the cloak, Sasuke could still make out the muscles packed onto her thin frame. This was a version of Hinata that harder, tougher, and held herself as if she were the Hyuuga clan leader.

“Well, you know me. Who are you?”

The young woman laughed – cold and rough.

“You can’t tell by looking at me? I’m Hanabi, heiress to the Hyuuga clan.”

That didn’t shock him. Hanabi projected power. What did surprise him was how different she was from Hinata.

“You’re Hinata’s sister, right?”

Hanabi bobbed her head, but then her arms crossed her chest.

“Not that it is any of your business. Speaking of which, why are you following me?”

Sasuke found himself mimicking her stance and crossed his own arms.

“What were you doing sneaking out to Hinata’s?”

Hanabi physically bristled. It seemed static was bouncing off her form as she straightened up. While there was no way she would be taller than Sasuke, something about her shift in stance was enough to create an imposing figure.

“What are you doing worrying about what I am doing with my sister?”

While they weren’t physically fighting, it felt like a battle of questions. Unfortunately, Sasuke was losing this particular battle. He had to ask himself, why was he worried about what she was doing at Hinata’s house? Her face flashed through his thoughts, her face molded in what he easily recognized as grief. He wasn’t sure why he was so worried about Hinata, but he knew it had to do with the pain that radiated from her. It was something he knew. It was familiar and comfortable.

It was something he didn’t want her to be comfortable in.

He accepted defeat in their question fight, finally answering one of them. Well, answering it in a way.

“She told me about being pushed out of the clan. Why would you be visiting her?”

It was then the imposing Hanabi’s form softened. Even her crossed arms drooped, to the point it was more like she was hugging herself or just barely trying to hold herself together.

“It isn’t your business. You weren’t even here when it happened.”

Sasuke couldn’t help but agree. She was right. He wasn’t here for any of this, and it was just another cold reminder that the village had moved on without him. The inner wound flared as if to punctuate the point. He had almost forgotten about its existence, which only made the pain that much more staggering. As a result, his own crossed arms fell away as he used his hands to clutch at his chest. Sweat was beginning to bead across his forehead, and his breathing clawed its way out of his lungs. His own breath left behind a painful burn that only hindered his breathing.

Even Hanabi noticed, and she was by him in an instant. She grabbed his arms without question, and her eyes were flitting across his face, trying to find any indication of what was wrong. Now shocked by the cool, unfamiliar touch, Sasuke was doing his best to wave her away even as he struggled to breathe.

“I’m fine. I’m fine.”

His words were a wheeze. Hanabi nearly growled in response, pulling him into a shuffle as she guided him towards the Hyuuga entrance.

“Whatever, Uchiha. Come on. You need to at least sit.”

He couldn’t argue with that. Even if he could actually breathe, there was no doubt he really wanted to sit down and gather himself. Hanabi didn’t take him too far into the compound. Guards were stationed at the entrance, and though they went to grab Sasuke away from her, one look from Hanabi had them cowing back to their positions. Her strength and presence were admirable, even in Sasuke’s state.

A few benches were lining the road through the compound, and at the first one, Hanabi set Sasuke down. Though the wound inside him still raged angrily, trying to reach out and swallow him whole, sitting at least allowed his lungs to rest. He took in as many deep breaths as he could, trying to cool the burning inside himself. Hanabi sat silently beside him, her eyes burning holes in him. It was like she could see it, the wound inside him. All he wanted was to stop her.

“So… come on. Tell me why.”

Hanabi sighed, clearly still unwilling to dive into it. Even so, it achieved Sasuke’s goal as she shifted her gaze to stare down at the road.

“I mean. She’s my sister. Do I really need another reason?”

Though Sasuke didn’t respond, he didn’t really have to. Hanabi couldn’t hold back a laugh as she motioned toward her cloak.

“I know I am not dressed for a family reunion, but it is a bit unbecoming of the Hyuuga heiress to visit the dethroned heiress… at least, that’s what dad would have you believe.”

As Hanabi spoke, the wound within Sasuke was beginning to cool, though it was just as open as it ever had been. Even so, the wound was not Sasuke’s main focus any longer. Instead, he focused on Hanabi as she spoke. Her face was softening to the point that she looked more like Hinata than she had when he first saw her. It was a similar sadness. It wasn’t identical, but it was close.

“She’s lonely, you know? This was her home for a long time, and it wasn’t like we were close, but… even I don’t think she deserved being pushed out of her home completely. You noticed, right?”

Sasuke blinked.

“Her house. You noticed all of the stuff? If that doesn’t scream lonely old lady, I don’t know what does.”

She laughed, but it was half-hearted and drifted away by the wind. Silence fell as if she had never laughed at all.

“You seem like you’re breathing alright now. I think you need to go.”

Once again, Sasuke couldn’t argue. He had confirmed everything he needed to, and though he was still burning inside, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t fought with before. He stood up and started down the path back out of the compound. The guards eyed him, and he eyed them right back, but before he could leave, Hanabi called out:

“Hey. Uchiha.”

Sasuke turned to look at her.

“I know what is inside you. I know you feel it, too. If I find out you hurt Hinata, I’ll kill the last Uchiha myself.”

And he believed her. Without a word, he turned away and faded into the shadows of the night, the wound roiling inside.


End file.
